Homel For Freedom activist appeals non-registration of initiative group

Piotr Kuzniatsou, coordinator of For Freedom Homel regional office, who had intended to run in the forthcoming elections, lodged a complaint with Homel Regional Court after his initiative group was not registered by the local electoral commission. His previous appeal against the decision was considered by Homel regional electoral commission and dismissed, due to the exceeding number of members in the group – 21 instead of 3-10, as provided by the law.
The activist refers to Article 37 of the Belarusian Constitution, ensuring everyone’s right to take part in state government and claims that Paragraph 1 of Article 65 of the Electoral Code, establishing the maximum number of the initiative group members, runs counter to the above-mentioned provision of the Constitution.
Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections’